Chris Smith speaks at Chris Kelly's funeral

3 years ago

The surviving member of the rap duo Kris Kross - Chris Smith - is calling the late Chris Kelly a "true friend." Smith was brought to tears as he spoke during Kelly's funeral at Atlanta's Jackson Memorial Baptist Church Thursday.

While Smith recognized that life without his former partner will be difficult, he vowed to keep Kelly's legacy alive. Since Kelly passed away last Wednesday, Smith acknowledged that everyday has been a "struggle" for him.

A number of Chris Kelly's hip-hop colleagues also paid their respects to the fallen rapper. Among the artists present at the funeral was rapper and producer Jermaine Dupri, who discovered Kelly and Smith in 1990. Dupri paid homage to Kelly and Kris Kross by wearing his pants backwards, just as the duo did on the cover of their first album "Totally Krossed Out."

R&B singer Keke Wyatt and members of the group Xscape reportedly performed during the service.

Chris Kelly was found unresponsive at his Atlanta home last Wednesday evening. Authorities suspect drugs played a role in his death, but are still awaiting the results of a toxicology report before they declare a cause of death.